Mesta is a Greek traditional village on the island of

Chios Chios (; el, Χίος, Chíos , traditionally known as Scio in English) is the fifth largest Greek island, situated in the northern Aegean Sea. The island is separated from Turkey by the Chios Strait. Chios is notable for its exports of mastic ...

. It belongs to the Mastic Villages, a group of villages in South Chios where the main activity is the manufacture of

mastic Mastic may refer to: Adhesives and pastes *Mastic (plant resin) *Mastic asphalt, or asphalt, is a sticky, black and highly viscous liquid *Mastic cold porcelain, or salt ceramic, is a traditional salt-based modeling clay. *Mastic, high-grade cons ...

. The mastic villages have been added to the representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity of

UNESCO The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) aimed at promoting world peace and security through international cooperation in education, arts, sciences and culture. It ...

. Mesta is characterised by particular architecture since it is a village-castle with perfectly preserved medieval architecture. Mesta is located 35 km south west of

Chios (town) Chios ( el, Χίος) is the main town and a former municipality on the island of Chios, North Aegean, Greece. Since the 2011 local government reform, it is part of the municipality Chios, of which it is a municipal unit. The municipal unit has an ...

, 4 km away from the coast. It is built at a height of 120m and it belongs to Chios municipality and

Mastichochoria Mastichochoria ( el, Μαστιχοχώρια, , lit. "the mastic villages" in English) is a former municipality on the island of Chios (Χίος), North Aegean, Greece. Since the 2011 local government reform it is part of the municipality Chios, ...

municipal unit. It is also a community that comprises the village Limenas where the port of south west Chios is located.

History

The village was probably built in the 12th century during the

Byzantine era The Byzantine calendar, also called the Roman calendar, the Creation Era of Constantinople or the Era of the World ( grc, Ἔτη Γενέσεως Κόσμου κατὰ Ῥωμαίους, also or , abbreviated as ε.Κ.; literal translation of ...

. The architecture of the settlement with its narrow streets and perimetric fortification served to repel pirate raids. The street plan of the village is pentagonical and its many narrow roads inside the fortifications give the impression of a labyrinth. The fortifications were reinforced during the Genoese era in Chios, between 1346 and 1566. The church of the Older Taxiarchi that is located in the centre of the village was built in 1794. A lot of villagers of Mesta were killed or captured during the

Chios massacre The Chios massacre (in el, Η σφαγή της Χίου, ) was a catastrophe that resulted to the death, enslavement, and refuging of about four-fifths of the total population of Greeks on the island of Chios by Ottoman troops, during the G ...

. Some of them were released after a while because the mastic agriculture was important for the Ottomans.

Historical population

Gallery

File:ΜΕΣΑΙΩΝΙΚΑ ΜΕΣΤΑ.jpg, View Μεστά - Καμπαναριό "Μεγάλου Ταξιάρχη".jpg, Megalos Taxiarchis belltower File:Mesta D.jpg, Interior of Taxiarchis church File:Mesta B.jpg, A road of the village File:The port of Mesta, Chios, Greece.JPG, The port of Mesta (Limenas)

References

{{Chios div Populated places in Chios